|
View this email in a browser
In this Update:
- Highlights in the 47th
- Opening an In-Depth Conversation Concerning PA’s Over-Order Premium for Class I Milk
- Celebrating Conservation District Week in Pennsylvania
- Senate Passes Bill to Protect Newborns
- Increasing Accountability and Disaster Response Capability
- Senate Votes to Protect Seniors from Financial Exploitation
- Broadband Grant Program Opens May 10
- Register to Vote by May 1
- Free Tick Testing for All Pennsylvanians
Highlights in the 47th
Thank you to the Refuge for Women for inviting me to say a few words last night at their community awareness event regarding human trafficking in western Pennsylvania. The event was very informative and shed light on the various resources out there for victims and survivors.
For resources available to victims, survivors, or those wishing to report a potential tip visit http://bitly.ws/DEVb.
Tuesday was Community College Day here in Harrisburg! It was great getting to talk with Dr. Roger Davis, president of Community College of Beaver County, who stopped by my office while here at the Capitol.
A constituent of mine, Jazmyn Charles from Cranberry Township, was here in Harrisburg this week for the PA Society of Physicians Assistants’ Hill Day! Thank you, Jazmyn for stopping by my office.
Temple University’s mascot, a grey horned owl named Stella, made an appearance this past Wednesday while students from the university visited Harrisburg!
I was pleased to accept a Lifetime Support Award from the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform as a reflection of my support of legislation over the years that would prevent liability expansion, frivolous lawsuits, and lawsuit abuse.
I had a great time last weekend serving pancakes at the Beaver County Maple Syrup & Music Festival!
Opening an In-Depth Conversation Concerning PA’s Over-Order Premium for Class I Milk
Minority Chairwoman Sen. Judy Schwank and I, along with the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, held a public hearing to open an in-depth discussion about the state’s Over-Order Premium on Class I milk and what the future of that premium could look like.
The issues surrounding the over-order premium are not new to the dairy industry and Tuesday’s hearing was meant to be a collaborative effort between all involved parties to see if and how we can potentially address the premium in the future. This matter has proven to be one of complexity and is not one to be taken lightly as it is comprised of many moving parts.
Read more about this week’s hearing by clicking here.
Celebrating Conservation District Week in Pennsylvania
Sen. Gene Yaw and I are pleased to again sponsor a resolution, Senate Resolution 84, to designate April 23 through April 29, 2023, as Conservation District Week in our commonwealth in recognition of their immeasurable contributions to our state.
Check out my remarks from Wednesday’s session on the importance of our conservation districts by clicking here.
Senate Passes Bill to Protect Newborns
The Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect babies whose parents are unable to care for them. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Senate Bill 267 would expand Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law to allow parents to surrender their unharmed baby at participating urgent care centers. The urgent care centers will ensure the newborn is transported to a hospital and placed in the care of a health care provider.
Currently, people may bring their newborn (up to 28 days old) to any Pennsylvania hospital, to a police officer at a police station or to an emergency services provider at an EMS station. The Department of Health estimates that 50 babies have been saved by Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law since 2003.
Increasing Accountability and Disaster Response Capability
Legislation requiring Senate confirmation of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) director was approved by a bipartisan Senate vote. Senate Bill 433 would increase accountability and ensure the agency is prepared to deal with emergencies efficiently and effectively.
PEMA is the lead emergency coordination agency in the commonwealth tasked with guaranteeing the safety of 13 million residents. This includes oversight of 911 centers and the Emergency Alert System, as well as hazardous materials and incidents involving five nuclear power plants.
Five state agencies with fewer employees than PEMA require Senate confirmation. The bill is before the House of Representatives for consideration.
Senate Votes to Protect Seniors from Financial Exploitation
The Senate approved a bill to help protect Pennsylvania senior citizens from financial exploitation scams using information that is already available within state government.
Under Senate Bill 137, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General would notify the Department of Aging about any investigations or enforcement actions involving someone age 65 or older and related to the Pennsylvania Telemarketer Registration Act.
The improved information sharing would enable the Department of Aging to deliver warnings to local area agencies on aging in counties across the commonwealth while ensuring strict adherence to confidentiality rules.
Senate Bill 137 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Broadband Grant Program Opens May 10
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority recently approved the Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program which will provide $200 million in funding to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and economic development organizations.
This program will fund line extension and development projects, as well as large-scale regional infrastructure projects. Upon completion, projects must deliver service that meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Megabits per second, with prioritization being given to fiber-optic deployment.
The application period will begin May 10 and will close July 10. View program guidelines here.
Register to Vote by May 1
The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election is Monday, May 1. Your county election board must receive your application for a mail-in or absentee ballot by Tuesday, May 9.
To legally register, individuals must be a citizen of the United States, reside in their local voting precincts at least 30 days prior to the election and be at least age 18 on Election Day, Tuesday, May 16. Once registered to vote, you are not required to register again unless you change your residence, name or political party affiliation.
Voter registration forms, mail-in ballot applications and absentee ballot applications are available here or from your local county’s Board of Elections. You can also use the site to check your registration status.
Free Tick Testing for All Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases. As we continue to fight Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the commonwealth, East Stroudsburg University offers a valuable resource for all Pennsylvanians.
The university has a tick lab, which provides free testing on ticks for harmful diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and more. Send a tick sample to the lab and receive the test results that are often necessary evidence for doctors to treat you and increase your chance of staying healthy.
This week, the Senate passed a bill to require school officials to notify a student’s parents or guardian if a tick is removed from them at school and inform them of the symptoms of Lyme disease. The bill also calls for schools to provide the tick to parents or guardians if they would like to send it to the lab for testing.
To remove a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin’s surface as possible and then pull upward with a steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting or jerking as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
For more information about tick-borne diseases or how to submit a tick for testing here.
Please
contact me to provide input on any state-related matter, or to
receive help in dealing with a state agency.
|
